The race is on to be named 2024 UK Flat Champion Jockey, the coveted accolade for the jockey that rides more winners than anyone else.

The 2024 UK Flat Jockeys’ Championship began on 4th May and will finish on British Champions Day at Ascot on October 19th, where the Champion Jockey will be crowned.

Below we look at the main candidates.

Oisin Murphy

Oisin Murphy has been crowned Champion Jockey on three previous occasions, winning the title from 2019-2021. His first title saw him ride a personal record of 168 winners during the campaign.

He lost his crown to major title rival William Buick in 2022, following a suspension from the sport, and finished 29 winners adrift of Buick in 2023.

This season Murphy has returned to his best and currently leads the championship by 30 winners from nearest challengers Rossa Ryan and Tom Marquand.

Murphy’s big race successes this season include the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup, the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes and the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

At 1/40 to lift the title this season, a fourth UK Flat Jockeys’ Championship looks well within Murphy’s grasp.

William Buick

Godolphin’s retained rider William Buick has won the UK Flat Jockeys’ Championship for the last two years, taking the title with 157 winners in 2022 and 135 last year.

Buick hasn’t started this year’s defence of his title as strongly as some and is currently in fourth place in the championship, 33 winners adrift of leader Oisin Murphy.

However, given the powerful connections that Buick rides for he is always guaranteed a steady stream of winners and that means he is second in our market at 12/1.

Rossa Ryan

No rider towards the top of the table has turned more of a profit than Rossa Ryan this season, with the two-time Group 1-winning rider currently +50.94 to a level £1 stake.

Ryan has ridden 62 winners to date this season, including notable successes on Forest Fairy in the Cheshire Oaks and Bluestocking in the Middleton Stakes.

Ryan gets regular support from trainer Ralph Beckett and with a strike rate of 18 percent, it’s no surprise he currently lies joint-second in the table behind Oisin Murphy.

However, he only ranks third in the betting at 16/1, behind Murphy and William Buick.

Tom Marquand

A rider that has been in the running for the championship in the last few years, Tom Marquand is once again in contention.

He finished third in both 2020 and 2021 before his best placed finish when a joint runner-up alongside his partner Hollie Doyle.

Currently lying joint second this year – tied on 62 winners with Rossa Ryan – it’s slightly surprising to see Marquand as an 80/1 shot in the market.

While he’s well adrift of the lead and has the worst strike rate of the top four riders with 16 percent, he does have the backing of a strong yard in William Haggas so you can expect him to boot home plenty more winners between now and October 19th.